Term: 15 years
Rate: Fixed for 5 years at 3.94%, followed by floating at 12 month LIBOR plus 2.5%
Amortization: 30 years
Prepayment Penalty: 3,2,1
LTV: 50% maximum
DCR: 1.20
Origination Fee: Par
Guaranty: Recourse

Transaction Description
George Smith Partners secured $5,625,000 in proceeds for the purchase of a 9,585 square foot, 12-unit multifamily property located in Malibu, CA. The loan is fixed at a rate of 3.95% for 5 years, then floats thereafter at 12 month LIBOR plus 2.5% for 10 years. The loan represented  $468,750 per unit.

Challenge
First, the buyer was purchasing the property at a very high price per unit. Second, the property had been fully renovated by the seller and only had six months of operating history. At the time of application, one unit was vacant and four units had short-term leases, including two units leased to corporate tenants. The seller was receiving rents that averaged over $6.00 per square foot which is common in Malibu, but much higher than most locations in Los Angeles. Finally, the property was located on the inland side of the Pacific Coast Highway and had a steep slope at the front of the property, which caused some lenders to be concerned with earthquake risk.

Solution
GSP was able to source a lender that was comfortable with all of the unique aspects of the deal. Although the selected lender had an LTV maximum of 50%, proceeds were considerably higher than other lenders which were constrained by a cap on loan per unit. Also, GSP was able to source rent comp data that showed the in-place rents were well supported. Thus, the lender was willing to provide a term sheet even with the vacant unit and short-term leases in place. Additionally, a previous owner had performed an extensive seismic retrofit on the property, which eliminated the need for earthquake insurance. Once in application, the loan closed in approximately 30 days.

Advisors

Matthew Kirisits Director

Term: 2 Years
Rate: Prime + 0.5%
Amortization: Interest Only
Prepayment Penalty: None
LTC/LTV: 70%/65%, including 100% of future funding and interest reserve
Origination Fee: 0.5%
Guaranty: Recourse

Transaction Description
George Smith Partners arranged a $1,253,000 bridge loan for the acquisition of an 8-unit, value-add multifamily property in Long Beach, California. Sized to 70% of total project cost, the loan includes 100% of future funding for property renovation, which includes a full gut renovation of unit interiors and an exterior upgrade. The two year bridge loan is interest only and floats at Prime plus 0.5% with no prepayment penalty. Interest is not charged on the hold back until funds are drawn and the lender fee was 0.5%. The property is located in an area of Long Beach that is within a growth corridor, but has yet to gentrify.  The sponsor’s plan includes noticing all below market leases in a fairly short window. By emphasizing the sponsor’s track record of re-positioning similar properties as well as current market rents and occupancy, GSP was able to assist the lender in gaining comfort with the market. The loan was structured with an interest reserve to mitigate the property’s weak cash flow during the renovation period. The loan closed in 45 days from start of application.